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Do we have to carry Weight & Balance sheet for each flight?

Asked by: 12047 views FAA Regulations

In our Flight school we required to compute the Weight and Balance before each flight. Is this required by regulation?
I have the FAR/AIM in front of me but I don't even no were to look for it.

As part of the Airplane documents we have to have the "Airplane Weight and Balance" (were you can fine the BEW and Moments) Is this one is not enough?

I'd like to take this opportunity and thanks everyone for the help that you providing here. 

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1 Answers



  1. John D. Collins on Aug 30, 2012

    Ami,

    91.103 requires “Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight.”. Part of the information concerning the flight is answering the question, will I be able to operate within the weight and balance limitations on the flight, from beginning to end. To accomplish this, you need to know that the aircraft will be within any ramp gross weight limitation and the W&B limits for takeoff, cruise, landing, including using any reserve fuel. The data to perform these calculations can be found in the POH in the W&B section. You can manually calculate the weight and balance information or use an automated tool to perform the calculations. Normally, I would calculate W&B for ramp, takeoff, landing at destination, and at fuel exhaustion. Hopefully the results would remain within the limits provided in the POH for all of these conditions. You don’t have to take the results with you on your flight, but it isn’t a bad idea to do so. The POH has to be on board the aircraft as it is required, but also so you can do a new set of calculations for the next flight.

    On my airplane, I know that under all loading conditions with just myself and at most two passengers will leave me well within the weight and balance envelope. Of course it helps that I have owned the same airplane for 33 years. Anytime I have four people on board, I always do a weight and balance using my Flightsoft Software package as some of the time as I burn off fuel, the airplane will go outside the aft CG limit. The calculation lets me know the minimum fuel I must have in order to remain in the envelope. So, even though I don’t always do a W&B calculation, I meet the regulations as I am familiar with the loading issues for my airplane. If I fly in someone else’s airplane of the same type, I will do a W&B as I am not familiar with their empty loading information.

    What your school requires is their business and is a very good policy in my opinion, but carrying a W&B calculation isn’t required by the regulations for part 91 operation, just the data to be able to perform one is required and it is contained in the POH. Familiarizing your self with all the available information as part of your pre-flight planning is required by regulation.

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